You asked us questions about high school football in Maine. Here’s what we said.

Maine’s High‑School Football Season Gets a Pre‑Game Primer from Veteran Sports Writers

As the Maine high‑school football calendar is set to kick off, a duo of seasoned reporters—Steve Craig and Mike Mandell—took the time last week to field fans’ questions about the teams, players, and expectations for the 2026 season. The live Q&A ran from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 2, on the Varsity Maine platform, a popular source for college and high‑school sports coverage in the state.

The broadcast was part of an ongoing series of interactive “Ask Varsity Maine” sessions, which have previously covered topics ranging from Maine’s food scene to the state’s primary election and even bird‑watching tips. The current session, aimed at football fans, was sponsored by the Maine State Credit Union and was hosted by the Press Herald’s own Steve Craig, who has spent his career covering Maine high‑school athletics and, more recently, the Portland Hearts of Pine men’s professional soccer team.

Craig, who began his journalistic career in 1986 with a modest office in Skowhegan, is a familiar name to Maine sports fans. After a stint in Dover, New Hampshire, and a freelance motorsports gig in Portland, he returned to the Press Herald in 2012. In 2022 he was named the National Sports Media Association’s Maine Sportswriter of the Year, a recognition that followed a similar honor in New Hampshire nearly three decades earlier.

Mike Mandell joined the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel in April 2022 after five and a half years with The Ellsworth American. A Missouri School of Journalism alumnus, Mandell’s reporting has spanned high‑school sports, college football and women’s basketball. He now lives just outside downtown Waterville, less than a mile from the Morning Sentinel newsroom.

During the two‑hour session, Craig and Mandell answered a range of inquiries—from who the top prospects are in each region to which coaching changes might influence team performance. Readers were also encouraged to ask about the broader context of the season, such as how weather conditions and travel schedules could affect game plans. The Q&A format allowed fans to engage directly with the reporters, who provided context and insights drawn from their extensive experience covering Maine athletics.

As the regular‑season games begin, the conversation between coaches, players and supporters will continue to shape the narrative. For those who missed the live session, the Varsity Maine website offers a recording, and a newsletter subscription is available for daily updates on high‑school sports in the state.

Maine State Credit Union remains proud of its support for community‑based high‑school sports coverage, and Varsity Maine looks forward to keeping fans informed as the season unfolds.